tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114421700070150629.comments2014-03-13T03:15:04.595-05:00Strength, Dignity and a SmileShelby Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14593754520164779781noreply@blogger.comBlogger255125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114421700070150629.post-67441222744670630652014-02-11T12:00:41.065-06:002014-02-11T12:00:41.065-06:00Hi Shelby,
This comment doesn&#39;t exactly apply...Hi Shelby,<br /><br />This comment doesn&#39;t exactly apply to your post, but I wanted to share some things that Lord&#39;s been teaching me:<br /><br />I am currently single and closer to thirty than twenty. Just recently, the Lord sent a young man to me. It happened very suddenly. His family met mine one week. A few days later he asked permission to get to know me. Two weeks later he asked to court me. <br /><br />My message to you all is: please do NOT get stuck in the &quot;single now, single forever&quot; rut. I did and was completely unprepared when the Lord sent a young man along. Not that I had never thought through courtship and marriage or prepared myself to potentially be a wife/mother, because I did. But in the past 2 years I got discouraged, put away my notebooks of thoughts, encased my heart in a hard shell with the excuse that &quot;all I need is the Lord,&quot; and arranged my life around enjoyment and fulfillment without any plans for marriage. It was wrong. I (and all women) was created to be a helper and companion to a man. That doesn&#39;t mean I can assume to be married someday, rather, it means that I ought to have faith in God&#39;s plan for woman, and give evidence of that faith by the way I order my life. It was not right of me to start arranging my life to fill the void (for me: with books, study, family, plans for my own ministries and businesses).<br /><br />When the blessing came and the Lord made it unmistakably clear that the course of events was His doing, I went into complete shock for over a week (as in, can&#39;t eat or sleep). When it wore off, I realized I was already making mistakes in the early part of the courtship because I had been attending to the spiritual needs of single life for the past 2 years and had been ignoring the growth I needed to be ready when and if the Lord changed my circumstances.<br /><br />Please do not fall into the same trap I did. Be content and joyful with just you and the Lord as a single, but don&#39;t forget that God will probably call you to marriage. It is NOT adultery against Christ to want a husband. It is not traitorous or less holy to aspire to marriage. Submit your will and desires to the Lord, and then arrange your life according to faith that the Lord will provide what is best for you in His timing. <br /><br />Lastly, do not despair. I was despairing. And for that matter, so was the young man who is courting me. We both looked on the outward circumstances (i.e. went to conferences and still could not find “the one”), and felt a certain bitterness of heart and soul because there was no provision. We both were making plans to be single forever and insulate ourselves from the pain of that realization. And we were both wrong. Please don’t make the same mistake we did.<br /><br />I have sensed pain in your posts, Shelby, and I know there must be young ladies like my 4-month-ago-self who read your blog for comfort in their singleness. I know some of you may read this and cry for loneliness, and think I don’t understand because someone has come along for me. But I do understand. I have only known the young man for a little over two months. And I still don’t know whether marriage will be the end result or not. There are no guarantees. But I know what I have learned from the whole experience so far, and wanted to pass it on to you all. Please be comforted. The Lord sees you. Yes, you. He knows your needs and desires, even when you cease to acknowledge those needs’ even to yourself. Wait upon Him for the good things He has in store for you, and don’t try and forge your own destiny of good things.<br /><br />God bless and be with you all,<br />A Sister in ChristAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114421700070150629.post-34365047883319841212013-07-29T10:24:16.274-05:002013-07-29T10:24:16.274-05:00This - like all if your writing - is absolutely be...This - like all if your writing - is absolutely beautiful. Perhaps you are the Ann Voskamp of our generation?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114421700070150629.post-76759385158385137622013-07-08T15:43:47.017-05:002013-07-08T15:43:47.017-05:00&quot;Past ghosts from the life of legalism that G...&quot;Past ghosts from the life of legalism that God called me to leave behind, rise up and echo the whispers of pride that beckon me to find unhappiness on the path my feet now tread.&quot;<br /><br />Well said, and I feel it too, because what we lived privately was not legalism. It is amazing to me my dear loved one, that we found that legalism, not in our home, but in another &quot;place&quot;, that ended up transforming the very thing we fought so hard against, and brought it right to our doorstep! It was &quot;dressed&quot; so well, it was hard to identify it and not open the door to it. Praise God Almighty forever, that He called and we heard His voice, calling us away to His place of truth in life. Mercy, grace, truth, sharing the Gospel, sold out to Him, and nothing else. Once your feet have been wet enough with those truths, the confusion of the &quot;lie&quot; will leave you and you will be truly free - but you are more than well on your way! &quot;Keep the main thing, the main thing&quot; and that &quot;Main Thing&quot; is Jesus, and the advancing of His Kingdom - not family, as important as it is. Love you~Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114421700070150629.post-21313202113695452042013-07-08T11:02:23.782-05:002013-07-08T11:02:23.782-05:00LOVE it Shelby!!! HE is all we should WANT! Ann V&...LOVE it Shelby!!! HE is all we should WANT! Ann V&#39;s stuff always challenges and encourages me! Charishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00544168019500190453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114421700070150629.post-58201698471102371912013-07-05T22:57:41.660-05:002013-07-05T22:57:41.660-05:00Wonderful post, Shelby! I find people always need ...Wonderful post, Shelby! I find people always need to stop judging others by their outside, because it&#39;s the heart that really matters to God, not the outside. Your post was very encouraging, and I LOVE your hairstyle so much! It looks absolutely gorgeous!Jemimah Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01466385504558658668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114421700070150629.post-2123153573534862762013-05-28T08:41:03.426-05:002013-05-28T08:41:03.426-05:00This is very good, Shelby. As Christians, we need ...This is very good, Shelby. As Christians, we need to examine whether we have a desire to share Christ, or just our lifestyle with others.Joennenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114421700070150629.post-42713803254202508782013-05-28T07:03:03.522-05:002013-05-28T07:03:03.522-05:00Yes. Yes. Jerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813398256381765965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114421700070150629.post-35074724116048153062013-03-10T17:50:50.268-05:002013-03-10T17:50:50.268-05:00love the picture Shelby! Yes, I can&#39;t wait for...love the picture Shelby! Yes, I can&#39;t wait for spring!!!Charishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00544168019500190453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114421700070150629.post-40937386631104098802013-03-04T21:34:50.368-06:002013-03-04T21:34:50.368-06:00Oh Lord! If we could just accept Your Gospel, for...Oh Lord! If we could just accept Your Gospel, for what it is and stop trying to measure up and be good enough for You, because we just cannot be. Help us God, to truly understand, that it is only the blood of Jesus,having been spilt for us, that could ever make us acceptable in Your sight; and free those who are bound by works, to be free to truly understand Your love for them and that the only works that we do that are &quot;good&quot;, are what You have done through us, because You have saved us by Your grace, and given us faith to believe, that none of us can boast, except in You! Joenne Courtneynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114421700070150629.post-52427919959801944132013-03-04T21:02:10.609-06:002013-03-04T21:02:10.609-06:00Shelby, you approached this very gracefully and to...Shelby, you approached this very gracefully and to the glory of our Father. There is nothing we do or don&#39;t do that can influence the Lord, God&#39;s love is not based on us, He see&#39;s us perfect, white as snow covered in the blood of Jesus Christ. You look beautiful, feminine, happy. Tara (The Proverbs 31 Sanctuary)The Proverbs 31 Sanctuaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11334419767998707621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114421700070150629.post-77535404980355672792013-03-04T20:58:35.959-06:002013-03-04T20:58:35.959-06:00Wow, thank you SO much for posting, Shelby! I *rea...Wow, thank you SO much for posting, Shelby! I *really* appreciate you sharing your thoughts about this matter- this whole subject with people has been a major peeve of mine, but I&#39;ve never been able to put it out in words. You absolutely hit the nail on the head. =) <br /><br /><br />and BTW- I LOVE your new hairstyle =DB Brabohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03070481499451752393noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114421700070150629.post-37768158547361813662013-03-04T12:59:26.597-06:002013-03-04T12:59:26.597-06:00&lt;3. What had to be said was said.&lt;3. What had to be said was said.Stéphaniehttp://magnetar.e-monsite.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114421700070150629.post-28969944883499691682013-03-04T11:59:00.289-06:002013-03-04T11:59:00.289-06:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17785474200198096170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114421700070150629.post-373555256421495992013-03-03T21:04:27.320-06:002013-03-03T21:04:27.320-06:00Awww I do too (and you)! :)Awww I do too (and you)! :)Lauren Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02456647659062579565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114421700070150629.post-91816545960418240642013-02-27T13:41:56.485-06:002013-02-27T13:41:56.485-06:00Hi Shelby!
I&#39;ve been reading your blog for qu...Hi Shelby!<br /><br />I&#39;ve been reading your blog for quite awhile and felt I ought to respond to this post, since I understand the feelings you&#39;re talking about.<br /><br />Firstly, let me say that pain (especially that caused by human deception, unfair or false judgement, and rejection) can be a very dangerous thing, even to a believer who believes him/herself to be completely satisfied with the Savior. And I&#39;m not just spouting off here. This is deeply personal with me and I&#39;ve got deep scars inside to prove it...scars caused by people in the church whom I deeply loved and served and believed to be my friends.<br /><br />The danger occurs in reactionism, which is no stranger to any of us. We try so hard to discover and define exactly what it was that made people treat us so, and, when found, to go to the farthest extreme AWAY from whatever it was. (i.e. if they were legalists, then we will join the &quot;grace only&quot; crowd.)<br /><br />This is highly dangerous because it circumvents Scripture, which is our ONLY basis for Christian life. It doesn&#39;t matter who twisted those Scriptures, or how they were used to hurt us, or how we fear they may be used again to harm someone else. Scripture is Scripture. All of it! <br /><br />Secondly, we are not called just to &quot;love&quot; people and try to bring them to the least common denominator of the Gospel. The laws of God are good in both the Old and New Testaments. Encouraging others to obey them is not judgmental or cruel, it is the duty of all believers. Furthermore, it is also the duty of believers to warn those who are sinning against God. <br /><br />Note 1: I didn&#39;t say it was our job to condemn them to Hell, or throw them out of the church immediately and permanently, or to point out their sins loudly in a group of people, or to pretend that we ourselves our perfect in that area. <br /><br />Note 2: When we truly love someone in the biblical sense, pointing out a believer&#39;s sins via Scripture isn&#39;t the same as holding them to our own rulebook, it&#39;s holding them accountable to God&#39;s rulebook. This, of course, immediately brings up the question of which rules exactly are God&#39;s and which are my inventions? This requires diligent study of Scripture, a cautious attitude toward interpretation and application, and a biblical knowledge of God.<br /><br />As you said, it&#39;s not easy. But it must be done. Shepherd the believers in your life with the same methods and care as the Great Shepherd and always be willing to be corrected by Him yourself.<br /><br />Hope this helps a little...I never know if I&#39;ve gotten off on one of my frequent &quot;comment box rabbit trails&quot;...so feel free to let me know. <br /><br />Love always in Christ,<br />Holly W.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114421700070150629.post-38019168550362893922013-02-03T16:23:17.122-06:002013-02-03T16:23:17.122-06:00Great appreciative article, with much to commend i...Great appreciative article, with much to commend it, though true teaching of the Catholic Church does not say that anyone earns their salvation through works righteousness -- nor is Javert a model Catholic!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114421700070150629.post-31746103300859868782013-01-23T22:18:31.020-06:002013-01-23T22:18:31.020-06:00oh wow!!! I&#39;ve loved Les Mis. ever since i was...oh wow!!! I&#39;ve loved Les Mis. ever since i was fist introduced to it through a performance of it i was in when i was little - it is such an EPIC story!!! {sigh} <br />Have you ever listened to the Radio Drama version by Focus On The Family Radio Theater? - it is so worth your time!<br />BTW You did a brilliant job writing this post and i love your blog!!! :)Cookin Cowgirl (wanna'be)http://sweetsixteenscountrykitchen.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114421700070150629.post-80833094805361224722013-01-20T21:43:16.215-06:002013-01-20T21:43:16.215-06:00Wow. I had goosebumps by the end...this is really ...Wow. I had goosebumps by the end...this is really fantastically written! A lot of these things I&#39;ve seen on a subconscious level, but haven&#39;t written about them or pointed them out because I wasn&#39;t sure how to say it. (I didn&#39;t see the link between the bishop and his revolutionary with Jean Valjean and the revolutionaries, but now that I see it it seems so blindingly obvious. XD)<br /><br />As one who loves Les Mis, I honestly don&#39;t think one can say enough good things about it. And this is reminding me that I need to read it again. ;)Molly Rosehttp://musingsoftheobsessionist.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114421700070150629.post-40628843453341148552013-01-15T15:57:18.290-06:002013-01-15T15:57:18.290-06:00I received your URL from my granddaughter and I&#3...I received your URL from my granddaughter and I&#39;m so glad!<br />I can really relate to this story. When we lived on the OBX, my husband and I were novice boatowners. One day we went out under beautiful clear skies. A couple of hours later, the water started to &quot;kick up&quot; so we headed back. As we turned into the inlet, that treacherous crossroads of two opposing tides where the currents became really nasty. <br />David did all the right things, banked into the waves the tops of which were higher than our head. It only lasted less than fifteen minutes but it was an adrenalin pumping time!<br />We were slung around sufficiently to have to brace ourselves and hang on for dear life. The water sprayed over us like a trellis you might walk under. We looked up a couple of times to a bank of water higher than our heads.<br />Slowly we made our progress around the bite and into the calmer inlet tides. We looked at each other with eyes like saucers (we laughed about that later), drew a deep breath and said, &quot;Wow!&quot;<br />When we got home, we sat down to talk about it. Amazingly neither of us were frightened at the time, just over stimulated by the circumstances. David had an incredible perspective. He asked, &quot;What if we were in that circumstance and didn&#39;t know the Lord? Didn&#39;t know that He was trustworthy?&quot;<br />Postscript: we sold the boat shortly thereafter, deciding discretion was the greater part of value. But, the lesson learned was this: when eternity is secure, drastic circumstances do not overwhelm.<br />Gran-Just PonderingGran-Just Ponderingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114421700070150629.post-75687771411973053202013-01-13T16:06:24.455-06:002013-01-13T16:06:24.455-06:00I realize this was posted months ago, but just wan...I realize this was posted months ago, but just wanted to thank you so much! I related to this like nothing I have ever read before. I, like you, am very compassionate, caring etc..and have hated my tenderness for a while now because of agony I endure when I trust and someone walks out or hurts me. I also am super honest and dump like a dumptruck at times. It&#39;s easy to think &quot;why, am I in this trial? I care too much to be suited to this situation!!&quot; Instead of realizing that if I can get my eyes off of ME...God is being glorified through this! My INABILITY only glorifies God more, right? ;) Thank you for pointing out that it&#39;s a blessing we care. It&#39;s a blessing that our hearts are not hard as ice and that yes indeed, God IS glorified in our weakness! Praise Him for that! Thank your your posts. You have no idea how encouraging they have been in my life the past year!! <br /><br />Blessings,<br />Kaitlin (a fellow single girl desperately trying to use my single years for His glory!) Kaitygirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08840476333428192035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114421700070150629.post-67288352537836976922012-12-29T15:56:05.591-06:002012-12-29T15:56:05.591-06:00Wow. Beautiful. I found your blog through Immer Wa...Wow. Beautiful. I found your blog through Immer Waschen - and all I can say is what an inspiration your words are. My faith and trust in the Lord is something that I have struggled with, and it easy to at times disregard his teachings with all of the distractions that bide for our attention in the world. Thank you for sharing!<br />-ErinErin GardenAndGrubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00245112862202951693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114421700070150629.post-60417828667449634382012-12-06T12:25:54.218-06:002012-12-06T12:25:54.218-06:00Jesus said, &quot;I came to bring fire on the eart...Jesus said, &quot;I came to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already set ablaze! But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how it consumes Me until it is finished! Do you think that I came here to give peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! From now on, five in one household will be divided: three against two, and two against three. <br /><br /> They will be divided, father against son,<br /> son against father,<br /> mother against daughter,<br /> daughter against mother,<br /> mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law,<br /> and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.&quot; Luke 12:49-53<br /><br />So, why do we think, that Jesus came to bring us perfect little families, who are just content to be at home, enjoying each other? There is good that comes from division! It means that people need to hear the Gospel, even in our own homes. What could be worse, than to find out after spending years and years raising your children, that you taught them everything about the Bible there was to know; taught them modesty and propriety and courtship and how to be submissive wives and good mothers; the young men to be great leaders of their families and to be good husbands; and to do everything just perfect, so they would not ever have a problem in the world -- only to find out, that they were never really saved, but knew all the &quot;right things&quot; to do and the &quot;right doctrines&quot; to believe and the &quot;right works&quot; to perform!! You suddenly find out, that you taught them &quot;works&quot;, instead of &quot;grace&quot;. Children are not born knowing the Gospel, and it is a terrible thing, when people put their trust in their own teaching or baptism or lifestyle, or whatever other &quot;works&quot; they perform, and just consider or hope their children are saved! The above statement by our Lord, demonstrates that He is sovereign over Salvation, and He does not guarantee that just because children are raised by Christian parents, that the children will be saved! Parents need to be presenting Christ and His Gospel to their children, not just lifestyles and propriety and healthy living! I have spent several hours each day, from the time my children were very small, reading the Bible to them and explaining God to them and praying for them and teaching them to pray. That is all that has ever mattered to me, was that my children knew God in a personal way and loved Him enough to obey Him; but more importantly, that my children would submit themselves to Him fully and allow Him to lead their lives and that God would know them. <br /><br />Great article and happy to be included with you, in that freedom! Joenne Courtneynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114421700070150629.post-44173750493838896312012-12-05T10:20:18.973-06:002012-12-05T10:20:18.973-06:00BEAUTIFUL, LOVE! Even more than that - AMEN. Life ...BEAUTIFUL, LOVE! Even more than that - AMEN. Life in Christ is FREEDOM to serve Him wherever He leads us.....and that is whether I&#39;m a little grease monkey, working with my daddy in the garage fixing one of our cars, or whether I&#39;m pursuing the dreams God has laid on my heart - The Lord will lead us in PEACE, and that is how we know it is true. <br /><br />Praying for you, Shelby. Love you!<br />~ Jean Marie Jean Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06351489473665727247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114421700070150629.post-8946725186044256032012-12-05T07:06:28.069-06:002012-12-05T07:06:28.069-06:00Amen! Prayed for you as I read this post. :-)Amen! Prayed for you as I read this post. :-)Laura.leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08209174317287104379noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6114421700070150629.post-31270789180158158312012-12-04T05:47:35.978-06:002012-12-04T05:47:35.978-06:00I&#39;m so thankful you wrote this post! God used ...I&#39;m so thankful you wrote this post! God used it in a good way to reach my heart. Sometimes we&#39;re selfish and we don&#39;t even realize it, because we&#39;ve become careless with the gospel. <br />Hugs and blessings!Lauraleahttp://ofasingleheart.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.com